Lexic.us

Definition of Pearl

1. Verb. Gather pearls, from oysters in the ocean. "In the summer they like to go out and pearl"

2. Noun. A smooth lustrous round structure inside the shell of a clam or oyster; much valued as a jewel.

3. Noun. A shade of white the color of bleached bones.

4. Noun. A shape that is spherical and small. ; "Beads of sweat on his forehead"

Definition of Pearl

1. n. A fringe or border.

2. n. A shelly concretion, usually rounded, and having a brilliant luster, with varying tints, found in the mantle, or between the mantle and shell, of certain bivalve mollusks, especially in the pearl oysters and river mussels, and sometimes in certain univalves. It is usually due to a secretion of shelly substance around some irritating foreign particle. Its substance is the same as nacre, or mother-of- pearl. Pearls which are round, or nearly round, and of fine luster, are highly esteemed as jewels, and compare in value with the precious stones.

3. a. Of or pertaining to pearl or pearls; made of pearls, or of mother-of-pearl.

4. v. t. To set or adorn with pearls, or with mother-of-pearl. Used also figuratively.

5. v. i. To resemble pearl or pearls.

Definition of Pearl

1. Proper noun. (English female given name) from the English noun pearl. ¹

2. Noun. A shelly concretion, usually rounded, and having a brilliant luster, with varying tints, found in the mantle, or between the mantle and shell, of certain bivalve mollusks, especially in the pearl oysters and river mussels, and sometimes in certain univalves. It is usually due to a secretion of shelly substance around some irritating foreign particle. Its substance is the same as nacre, or mother-of-pearl. Pearls which are round, or nearly round, and of fine luster, are highly esteemed as jewels, and compare in value with the precious stones. ¹

3. Noun. (figuratively) Something precious. ¹

4. Noun. A capsule of gelatin or similar substance containing liquid for e.g. medicinal application. ¹

5. Noun. Nacre, or mother-of-pearl. ¹

6. Noun. A whitish speck or film on the eye. ¹

7. Noun. A fish allied to the turbot; the brill. ¹

8. Noun. A light-colored tern. ¹

9. Noun. One of the circle of tubercles which form the bur on a deer's antler. ¹

10. Noun. (typography) Five-point size of type, between agate and diamond. ¹

11. Noun. A fringe or border. ¹

12. Verb. To set or adorn with pearls, or with mother-of-pearl. Used also figuratively. ¹

13. Verb. To cause to resemble pearls; to make into small round grains; as, to pearl barley. ¹

14. Verb. To resemble pearl or pearls. ¹

15. Verb. To give or hunt for pearls; as, to go pearling. ¹

16. Verb. (surfing) to dig the nose of one's surfboard into the water, often on takeoff. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Pearl

1. to adorn with pearls (smooth, rounded masses formed in certain mollusks) [v -ED, -ING, -S]

Medical Definition of Pearl

1. 1. A shelly concretion, usually rounded, and having a brilliant luster, with varying tints, found in the mantle, or between the mantle and shell, of certain bivalve mollusks, especially in the pearl oysters and river mussels, and sometimes in certain univalves. It is usually due to a secretion of shelly substance around some irritating foreign particle. Its substance is the same as nacre, or mother-of-pearl. Pearls which are round, or nearly round, and of fine luster, are highly esteemed as jewels, and compare in value with the precious stones. 2. Hence, figuratively, something resembling a pearl; something very precious. "I see thee compassed with thy kingdom's pearl." (Shak) "And those pearls of dew she wears." (Milton) 3. Nacre, or mother-of-pearl. 4. A fish allied to the turbot; the brill. 5. A light-coloured tern. 6. One of the circle of tubercles which form the bur on a deer's antler. 7. A whitish speck or film on the eye. 8. A capsule of gelatin or similar substance containing some liquid for medicinal application, as ether. 9. A size of type, between agate and diamond. This line is printed in the type called pearl. Ground pearl. A crystallized variety of dolomite, having a pearly luster. Pearl white. Basic bismuth nitrate, or bismuth subchloride; used chiefly as a cosmetic. A variety of white lead blued with indigo or Berlin blue. Origin: OE. Perle, F. Perle, LL. Perla, perula, probably fr. (assumed) L. Pirulo, dim. Of L. Pirum a pear. See Pear, and cf. Purl to mantle. (19 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Pearl

pear blight pear haw pear hawthorn pear of anguish pear tree pear trees pearce pearced pearceite pearces

pearch pearches pearcing peare peares pearl (current term) pearl-ash pearl-bordered fritillaries pearl-bordered fritillary pearl-fish

pearl-necklace pearl-weed pearl-worker's disease pearl ash pearl barley pearl cyst pearl diver pearl divers pearl fishery pearl grey

Literary usage of Pearl

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Chief Contemporary Dramatists, Second Series: Eighteen Plays from the Recent by Thomas Herbert Dickinson (1921)
"pearl. I knew everyone would abuse me for coming down so late. ... pearl. The sun streamed into my room and I said it's a sin not to get up on a morning ..."

2. United States Supreme Court Reports by Lawyers Co-operative Publishing Company, United States Supreme Court (1882)
"It appears from this section, that the commissioners east of pearl River had adopted ... The Act of 1803 puts the settlers east and west of pearl River on ..."

3. The Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and General by Thomas Spencer Baynes (1888)
"pearl. pearls are calcareous concretions of peculiar lustre, produced by certain molluscs, and valued as objects o? personal ornament. ..."

4. The Cambridge History of English Literature by Adolphus William Ward, Alfred Rayney Waller (1907)
"CHAPTER XV pearl, Cleanness, Patience and Sir Gawayne AMONG the Cottonian manuscripts in the British Museum, a small quarto volume, numbered Nero A. x, ..."

5. St. Nicholas by Mary Mapes Dodge (1920)
"He tells the Scouts that a blue pearl the size of a certain pink pearl which he owns would be worth $50000 and that he would be glad to pay that sum for ..."

6. The Encyclopedia Americana: A Library of Universal Knowledge (1919)
"After the conventional dream-setting, the poet, who has lost his "pearl of great price," beholds a beautiful maiden, in a land of surpassing loveliness, ..."

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